Do I need a new PSU with a new build?

[philosofool]

I am not currently having any problems with my 550W PSU.

However, my current trusty rig is an i5-750 based machine. It served me well. But I think it's time to move on from this machine, whose PSU is over 7 years old.

However, in order to actually move on, I need to stay within a low budget and recycle some parts. I'm happy with my storage and graphics. If I could also reuse my current PSU, I think I can build an i5-6600K system for around $500, which is close to my price point. But if there are good reasons to replace this 7 year-old PSU, then I need to keep thinking about it.

Thoughts?

 

[UsandThem]

It depends on the model of your PSU.

Some older units will not play nice with Haswell and newer CPUs.

 

[bigboxes]

I'd buy a new PSU for the new build. And yes, what UaT said. It was what I did when building my current main rig. It doesn't mean that you can't use it for something else, but do you really want it to be in your everyday driver?

 

[Torn Mind]

Use it till it starts showing signs of dying. Seems like that PSU has a monitoring chip for the power good signal.

Use Hwinfo to monitor performance with a stress test on your current system to see if voltage regulation is within spec. If it is, the PSU can keep on truckin'. The newer CPUs have new sleep states, but those are disabled by default. Should you desire to use those sleep states, you will want units with DC-DC regulation or independent regulation of the 3.3V and 5V lines, which most Haswell-ready labeled units should have.

 

[UsandThem]

OP, unless you provide the model number, you will not get a definitive answer.

The PSU has a tag on one of it's sides that will tell you the model number along with other information.

You could have a quality unit like PC Power and Cooling or Seasonic. Or you could have a junk unit like Deer, Logisys, or Leadman Ecostar:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6714

Seriously, since your computer is still alive after all these years, it is highly unlikely you have a junk unit in there. But PSUs are all built differently, with varying quality and components. Some have a 1-year warranty, while some come with a 10 year warranty.

But we need to know the model number to know for sure.

 

[philosofool]

It is an OCZ 500 MSXP.

 

[UsandThem]

It is an OCZ 500 MSXP.

I'd replace it. That PSU had a 3-year warranty, and it was clearly a budget unit back when you bought it. In fact, when reading reviews on it, many reviewers had the unit shut down several times placing a larger load on it. Plus, it is only 81 - 84% efficient under the best case scenario. Finally, power supplies, specifically their capacitors, age from time, use, and heat.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/ocz-modxstream-pro-500-w-power-supply-review/7/

7 years of use from a budget PSU was a very good run, but I'd personally replace it if I was facing this decision. Of course, since it still works, it's your call to do what you are comfortable doing. You might be able to squeeze a little more life out of it.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I always have tendency of just re-purposing old systems, so to avoid having a nearly functional computer but with missing parts, I'd just buy a new one for the new machine. When troubleshooting a problem it's also one less variable to worry about. Chances are it would be fine, but what's another ~$200 to spend when you just spent on building a whole new build.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Rule-of-Thumb or "principle"
Age of a mid-range 3-year-warranty unit
New computer -- all parts require testing and tweaking with a primary component 1st principle: never get a PSU on the cheap.

Just a few considerations.

I'd replace it just as a matter of R-o-T normal procedure. Seven years is plenty of usage for the original price paid. If it still works, put it back in the parts-locker as a spare. Otherwise, take it down to the county electro-recycling center.

I was going to retire a 5.5-year-old Seasonic X-Series X750 Gold: system was going to an elderly person who has trouble over Kaspersky pop-ups and Windows Updates. She needs reliable hibernation, as does the household WHS-2011 backup system. Hibernate was showing spotty performance. Tested everything -- no problems. Flashed the BIOS -- problem went away.

But I'm not using it to build a new system. . . . .

Ya see . . . .

 

[dave_the_nerd]

7 years is enough. I'd say it's time.

The thing is, they degrade slowly. Not quick so's you'd notice. But before they immolate or cause other obvious problems, you can get little "wiggles" in the power delivery, that can cause random lockups, etc.

So I'd say a relatively new PSU is just one of those things you do.